Madness
by Creative Curve
Summary: Ghetsis' motives have permanently ceased after a second defeat. His first adversary, Touko, returns to Unova from Johto and she resides close to his residence. Once her curiosity for a ship docked outside her hometown takes root, she soon finds herself a little too close to the great Sage, and their interactions flare into a madness that knows no boundaries.
1. Chapter 1

**A Lost Villai****n**

* * *

The warm summer wind ripped through and tousled Touko's hair as she rode atop her great black dragon miles above the earth. Sunlight poured over the ocean waves beneath them, accenting the ripples' calm maneuvers with soft sparkles of light. Touko smiled as the beast closed their gap between the sky and earth, knowing that home ground was just minutes away. The young hero brushed her bangs out of her eyes to better see the scene of trees unfold before her. Zekrom then emitted a low rumble of eagerness as Nuvema town slowly crept into view.

Four long years had crept by unmercifully since she last left her hometown and region. She'd missed Unova so much, her excitement to leave the Johto region after years of study rivaled the emotion she felt before starting her Pokemon adventure at the age of fifteen. The only correspondence with her friends and family had been strictly by phone and xtransceiver, and the same applied for the majority of her captured Pokemon, thanks to Professor Juniper allowing her to see them via a webcam correspondence.

So much cluttering anxiety and anticipation raced through her brain the closer Nuvema Town came. She wondered how much Unova had changed over the years, and how a boy they called Hugh managed to bring down the team she once defeated four years ago: Team Plasma. The only news she received from her lifelong friend, Cheren, was a brief summary of the events over the phone, as he was in on the action, and she was filled to bursting with eagerness to hear more. Not to mention she wanted to meet Hugh, as he was a hero in his own way, if only he hadn't left the region to study like she had.

An unsuppressed smile soon spread across Touko's sun kissed face as the beach and forest of Nuvema was only seconds away. She squealed excitedly and shifted her legs to the side on the dragon's back, thus making it easier to slide down the moment they landed. As she faced sideways only momentarily, she noticed an extremely large and impressive ship right below them, docked next to a small patch of land that homed a strange building. The ship was nearly half the size of the island and was just as tall as a small skyscraper, thanks to its towering large sail that wasn't a sail at all. It had the look of a giant solar panel.

Touko had become so absorbed in the appeal of the handsome ship that she was almost thrown from her dragon steed when it came to an abrupt halt, landing on the sands of Nuvema. The shaken girl tumbled down Zekrom's side and landed clumsily on her bare feet, then she tumbled sideways onto the scalding hot white sand, her backpack following suit. She would have lay there for a moment, allowing her pores to soak up the sun, except the tiny hot embers of sand shot her straight up to her feet in an instant.

Dancing like a maniac atop the scalding grains below her, she brushed the sand from her short shorts and bottom, while frantically searching her bag for flip-flops. The most complicated task for the day was complete the moment her painful soles found the solace of her foam footwear.

After adding the finishing touches to her tousled state of being by shaking even more sand out of her hair and brushing off her front, she looked up to the big black beast beside her, finding it's head tilted to one side in amusement. Her agitated blue eyes met the dragon's red glare. If Zekrom could only smirk, he would have been that very moment. "Keep laughing inside that oversized head of yours!" Touko growled before picking up her backpack and fishing for Zekrom's ball. The massive Pokemon stood tall on its hind legs and snorted arrogantly down at the young hero, small sparks of static shooting from its nostrils.

Touko rolled her eyes at the Pokemon's back sass and held his Poke ball up and recalled him. The oversized, intimidating and frightening dragon quickly turned from a solid, destructive force, to a red gleam a light that soon rested soundly in the palm of her hand in the confinements of a ball. Most would quiver in the presence of the beast while Touko would remain at ease. Zekrom's immense height and mass didn't scare her the least bit. As far as she was concerned, he was an oversized lap dog, and she was certain he saw himself as such after the incident of him using Touko as a small pillow; his massive head nearly smothering the life out of her.

Giving herself a final brushing off, Touko turned and strolled toward the forest, aiming for the path that would take her straight home. Before she reached the opening of the narrow course however, she turned her attention west, remembering the large ship she spotted. Sure enough, it hadn't departed in the small amount of time it took her to land and gather her wits. She inched away from the path and towards the shore line, squinting through the bright sunlight as it reflected against the rolling waves.

The ship's wooden deck harbored not a single soul, and not one Pokemon was present onboard. Touko tried her best to focus on the one large sail that wanted to touch the sky, desperate to know if it was what it appeared to be; a solar panel. She could only make out the other smaller sails at each end of the ship and what appeared to be a long line of glowing blue at the bottom, separating wood from water. Her vision wasn't that of a Braviary however, and she quickly resented herself for leaving her binoculars behind in Johto.

Before she became too eager and succumbed to the temptation of flying over to investigate, she brought herself back to reality and steered her motives back to the dark path through the woods. Her anxiousness for reuniting with friends and family grew, while curiosity for exploring the ship stirred her melting pot of emotion.

As she strolled down the rich green path of vegetation, flowers and small scurrying Pokemon, she ran through multiple possibilities. She smiled and giggled aloud to herself when she suspected a one-eyed pirate captain of the ship, dressed in raggedy old garments, equipped with a beaten up old sword and complete with a rough black pirate hat atop his head with flowing long black hair beneath it. She then thought of traders, shippers and tourists, none of them nearly as unique or appealing as the pirate suspicion. Nevertheless, none of them made any sense to her.

The smooth mating call of a Pidove broke Touko's attention from her wild thoughts and daydreams. She looked up casually for the source of the song. The Pidove responsible flew off gracefully and soundlessly. She followed it until she could see it no more. She soon noticed other Pokemon scurrying from her, as if scared. She stopped suddenly and furrowed her brow. What were they so afraid of? She certainly had no intention of capturing them.

A twig snapped behind her.

She spun around quickly, her eyes scanning the lightly lit pathway. She wished the path she chose had a thinner tree canopy that allowed more sunshine to bath the forest floor, but that path was the quickest shortcut from the beach to her house. No human nor Pokemon stirred behind her, so she shrugged her shoulders and continued on, still keeping her acute hearing on alert.

Trucking on through the path she fell back into her thoughts again, pondering the presence of the ship. She recalled the building on the small island and noted that it had been vacant for years. Could the building finally receive residence? And could that resident be the captain of the impressive ship? Touko smiled once more as she made it her new mission to explore the island, the building, and the ship . . . later of course.

A jolt of excitement sparked inside her stomach the moment the bright light at the end of the forest tunnel emerged. She sprung forward in a sprint, anxious to get home to her mother, her backpack shifting back and forth and flopping annoyingly on her back.

She suddenly stopped dead in her sprint, her heavy load threatening to swing her forward to the ground. To her left resided a house about fifty yards down an even narrower, overgrown path. Her palms grew damp as nervous precipitation formed through her pores. She felt her heart rate impel and her legs grow wobbly from nerves. In the house lived an old man, secluded and unwanted by society. He was a registered sex offender and child molester under Unova's criminal records, and was sent to the farthest edge of Unova. Of all the towns and edges the police could have sent him away to live, it was Nuvema, and that still wasn't far enough.

Touko ground her teeth in agitation with herself. She had been gone so long that she managed to forget the slimly old man lived there. If she had only remembered, she would have taken the long way around and entered Nuvema Town through route one. She tensed her muscles and moved on quietly, hoping old Jake was asleep inside his termite eaten old wooden home, or better yet, dead.

She then recollected all the times her, Bianca and Cheren snuck through the path past his house and even trucked through the brush of the woods just to avoid him. They never traveled that path alone, not since old Jake got a hold of Bianca and tried to drag her into his moldy house. Thankfully for Bianca, Touko and Cheren had been close by, hearing her shrieks of terror clearly. After Bianca's rescue and a calling of the cops, Jake spent another six months in jail for his offense. It still wasn't enough to keep the offender at bay, and Touko and her friends were thrown back into fear the moment he was released.

"Hey!"

Touko froze in place and her heart skipped a beat, threatening to stop in her chest. The voice was the same unmistakable, irking rattle it always had been. She turned slowly, ready to dart at any moment, and mere feet away from her, she found him, nasty Jake, standing there drooling at the mouth of the path that led to his house.

Had hadn't changed a bit. He wore the same old dirty brown shoes and tan corduroys he always sported, along with the stupid looking leather vest he wore overtop any moldy old shirt he could find. His skin was the same wrinkly yellow, and Touko swore he was now more yellow than ever; liver disease was taking him, but not soon enough. Greasy grey hair remained around his black eyes beneath the same fedora he always wore.

Touko hated that hat and the fake plastic jewels that lined it. She hated everything about the nasty child molester. She wanted to learn how to shoot a pistol so that maybe one day she could shoot that goofy, stupid old hat right off his head and blow it to pieces. There was even a time, and Touko regretted the desire, she wanted to learn how to shoot for a different reason, to nail him right between the eyes. She hated middle aged and older men, and the man in front of her was to blame.

The first person she saw when she returned was not supposed to be her worst nightmare, but her mother and friends. She longed to be greeted with her mother's warm smile, Cheren's strong embrace, and Bianca's high-pitched humorous giggle, not Jake's slimly figure and disgusting words.

"Where have you been sweet heart?" Jake purred in his raspy voice. Touko let one arm slide away through the strap of her pack and held it with one hand in case she had to run. She fondled a side pocket and gripped her Raichu's poke ball in her right hand. She knew she was safe with her Pokemon by her side, but that still didn't make up for the years of terror she experienced being chased by Jake. There was even an instance when he managed to chase her all the way to her home at the age of eight, proving to be faster than they all thought as he nearly caught her.

"My back hurts . . . I'm about in tears," Jake muttered, inching closer to Touko. She felt his hungry, yellow stained eyes drinking her in. His back didn't hurt; he only wanted to get _closer. _

"Stay away from me," Touko growled through ground teeth, inching back slowly and keeping an acceptable distance from herself and the offender. She felt Raichu's ball vibrate with energy in the palm of her hand. She knew he felt her distress and agitation.

"Don't be that way. I've missed you, little girl."

"Leave me alone!" Touko screamed, loud enough for _someone _to hear and know that she was in danger. Over years of Jake's residence in the forest, everyone in Nuvema town knew that when someone screamed in the woods, particularly a girl or young woman, they instantly knew Jake was on the prowl.

Touko turned and sprinted through the winding green path, holding her bag tight in one hand and Raichu's poke ball in the other, refusing to look back. She wasn't eight years old anymore and she knew that her long slender legs could carry her away from that slimy old man in an instant . . . but she was in dire need of physical training.

Just before the entrance to Nuvema came into reach, Touko nearly collapsed to the hard earth. She dropped her bag and poke ball to the ground and grabbed her knees, gasping for breath. Her hair fell around her, shielding her peripherals from view of her surroundings. She didn't care; she knew Jake was a hundred paces behind her and too old and slow to catch up.

Once her lungs ceased their struggle for proper air intake, she straightened her posture and flipped her hair up into a high ponytail using the black band around her wrist. She heaved a deep sigh of relief after she turned around and saw that Jake was nowhere to be seen. He must have given up. Picking her bag and ball up off of the ground, she continued onward toward her home.

Excitement gripped her once more as she took in the sight of her small cottage. It hadn't changed a bit. The bright blue roof continued to shine under the sun's rays and her mother surely hadn't given up gardening as the same shrubs and blue lilies lined the sidewalk and the front of the house. She saw that the main door to the house was open, leaving only the screen door to barrier the inside from the outside, and Touko felt another urge to sprint forward into the arms of her mother.

"Why are you running from me?"

Touko was just about to dart to her home when she lost her footing at the sound of Jake's voice and faltered, spilling herself and her belongings all over the ground. When she fell she landed on her side, and the wind was temporarily knocked out of her. She couldn't scream for help, only cough pathetically for life giving air.

While she continued to cough and struggle for breath, she looked up through tear-laden vision and saw the slimly old man standing over her, his head cocked to the side curiously. "You're a damn mess sweetie," she heard him say, chuckling to himself in sick high-pitched cackle.

She kicked at him hopelessly and scooted away on her side, trying her best to avoid him. Jake smiled down at her with yellow stained teeth to match his yellow tainted skin and slowly advanced toward her despite her violent kicking.

"S-stay away!" Touko managed breathlessly.

"Nope," he said, sneering at her. Touko kicked and kicked at the air, but that didn't stop him. He bent down and extended an ugly spotted hand as he tried to grab one of her ankles. He would have been successful however, if he hadn't have jumped back at an unnaturally fast pace. He appeared to have glided backward and to the side, landing himself against a tree.

Touko drug herself even further away to the best of her ability, leaving her backpack and Raichu's ball behind before propping herself up halfway. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat as another man now pinned the old geezer against the tree. Jake had been a bad dream, but the man threatening him was a nightmare. His green ponytail and three sprigs of hair, two sticking out the sides and one at the top of his head, were unmistakable. It was Ghetsis Harmonia, the former leader of Team Plasma and one of the most feared villains ever to hit the news.

Touko's heart leapt into a full scale race and she quickly scrambled about the ground like a maniac, brushing the ground frantically with her hands as if she was blind, searching for her bag. She reached for the strap of it and pulled it close to her. She eyed her poke ball desperately as it lay only a few feet away from where Ghetsis was threatening Jake.

Gaining control of her breathing, Touko looked up to the scene unfolding before her. Ghetsis had Jake securely against a tree, his right forearm pressed against the man's throat. As her eyes traveled down Ghetsis' tall figure, she found he wore cloths that rivaled Jake's in both cleanliness and overall quality. He wore a neatly pressed, short sleeved black button up shirt along with black jeans and black, recently shined shoes. His black-on-black attire slimmed him down greatly compared to the oversized tent he once wore when he was the leader of Team Plasma.

Ghetsis growled a few choice words at his victim before effortlessly kneeing him in the groin where he deserved it most and sending him crashing into a bush that resided so conveniently beside the tree. Touko scooted towards Ghetsis and reached out for the ball by his feet, but she recoiled and fell to her side, reaching frantically into her bag for Zekrom's ball instead.

The old Sage finally turned around to face her. His steady gaze stopped her movements as her own eyes focused on his one. To her, he hadn't changed a bit, aside from his dress and new black and red eye piece. His hair was still a soft, silvery green and his facial features were still hard and serious. His sharp red eye bore into her for what felt like hours before he advanced.

Touko breathed heavily in panic and began fishing frantically for Zekrom's ball, clearly not obtaining success as her panic blinded her and impaired her hand's movements.

"Stop," Ghetsis ordered firmly, his voice still gruff and deep. Like a trained Lilipup, Touko ceased her desperate search in a bag full of clutter and looked up to her adversary. He didn't smile, nor did he frown; he only looked at her. Finally, he bent down and picked up Raichu's ball. Touko nearly fainted as she was certain the man was going to pocket the Pokemon and take it for himself.

Slowly, Ghetsis walked toward her, poke ball in hand. Touko felt herself go limp as she laid on her side. The man before her was exceedingly tall, and could physically crush her at any moment, just as he had done Jake, who still lay in pain, spitting and sputtering in the bush.

Once Ghetsis was practically on top of her, he bent down, took her hand in his warm palm, and shoved the ball into it. Touko closed her eyes tight as he did this, hoping and praying he wouldn't kick or harm her in any way. As his footfalls began to grow faint in the distance, she heard Jake's sputtering and pathetic pleas follow them. She opened her eyes.

Ghetsis was walking back into the forest, dragging a winded and hurt Jake by the scruff of the vest alongside him.


	2. Welcome Home

**Welcome Home**

* * *

Touko shakily staggered to the garden stone path that lead to her home. She had shed her thongs in hopes of gaining better balance. She was concerned that her current state of appearance wasn't fit to ward off questions from her mother; her cloths were still a dirty mess where she had flailed about the filthy ground trying to escape Jake's grasp. She would have to lie and say she tripped; how clumsy of her. Before setting foot atop the freshly swept stone, she stopped and attempted to collect her thoughts and regain her wits.

Young Touko didn't get the best homecoming welcome she had expected. Jake could have been an avoidable surprise if she had only remembered that he still existed. She suspected that subconsciously she may have assumed he would be dead by now, thus making the path through the woods a safer trip. But Ghetsis had been the true nightmare and the ultimate surprise. Touko shuddered at his memory, not just the memory of him threatening Jake, but of his overall effect on her over the years.

She remembered him to be insane, a complete lunatic and madman; anything pertaining to the word crazy. He had brain washed her new friend, N. He aimed to take over the world by using N's gift for communicating with Pokemon. And by extension, she had been drug into the whole of Team Plasma's mess of bad deeds and Ghetsis' devious motives. At one time she blamed N for targeting her and dragging her down into his father's war, making her the Hero she never saw herself to be, until Juniper explained everything to her.

She was, in fact, a Hero. N had nothing to do with Zekrom choosing her, for if she wasn't worth its time, she wouldn't have won its affections. N just sensed the power and apparent aurora that surrounded her, and all he did was lead her to the dragon, and by extension, making her his only worthy adversary. She found it uncanny at first, but she felt the same energy being emitted from N as well, and she had assumed it was an attraction to his tall, slender and handsome figure. Oh how wrong she was.

It was Ghetsis that scared her most, however. N had been an easy defeat that day in the destroyed castle throne room, but it was his father, the evil menace of a man, that nearly made her jump out of her skin, and he became her toughest opponent yet. Even the Pokemon he used in battle made her want to run for the hills and never return. Arceus was on her side as she defeated him nonetheless, and nothing could have prepared her for his outbursts.

His voice had pierced her eardrums and sent acid down her spine. He growled and screamed the essence of insanity. On and on he went about how the world should have been his, about how perfect and flawless he was. He screamed and laughed insanely as Alder and Cheren escorted him out of the castle he worked so hard to create. To Touko's relief, Ghetsis never once blamed her, though she couldn't be sure if he cursed her in his sleep. Touko couldn't decipher if she was relieved that Ghetsis blamed his son over her or not, but she couldn't deny the hope she felt that he wouldn't come after her one day.

The moment Touko received word from Ghetsis' own loyal Shadow Triad that he'd escaped, she didn't mind leaving the region for study. She had just found the sixth Sage and turned him over to Looker before the three shadow men cornered her on Marvelous Bridge, informing her of Ghetsis' freedom as a product of their cunning maneuvers. She felt allayed once she learned he was on the run and had nothing but the cloths on his back. However, that relief was soon replaced with confusion and fear once one of the mysterious men in black shoved three unknown orbs into her hand. They had declared them a gift from Ghetsis and then departed without further explanation, aside from stating how Ghetsis' motives would never cease. After hearing that solid bit of information, Touko was destined to leave the country, and so she did, especially after Looker came to her once more, requesting her assistance to hunt down the madman.

She shifted her weight between her petite feet as she regained her balance and gathered her nerves slowly. Like marbles, her jittery nerves were a pain to get all in one bag, safe and sound. She turned cautiously around, eyes scanning the forest she just hobbled out of. She couldn't fathom how Ghetsis had just been there with her, not mere minutes ago and didn't cause her any harm. _He saved her instead. Why? _She thought he was going to steal her Riachu, but instead he gave it back, and for a split second she thought he was going to take the orbs back as well, as they lay securely in her bag. She could have cared less about the orbs, however, they were useless to her, but handing them back could have meant bringing him back to power in some way.

She turned back around, facing her bright blue roofed home and shook her head. _He saved me from Jake, _Touko mused disbelievingly. She couldn't call Looker, she concluded, as she felt she owed Ghetsis that much. _But why?_ That question would plague her the rest of the her head slowly once more, she finally took her first step onto the smooth stone walkway. Like the main numeric value to the perfect equation, her footfall triggered her to mother burst forth from the screen door.

"Touko!"

The young Hero froze in her tracks; there was no need to take another step further. Her overexcited mother barreled down on her with arms wide open, falling into her hard, and holding her tightly around the middle. After nearly having the breath knocked out of her, Touko meekly muttered her own greeting. "M-mum, nice to see you too!"

With much reluctance, Sandy released her daughter from her strong, yearning fueled embrace and gave Touko some breathing room. Before another word was spoken, Touko looked her mother up and down, and discovered full well that Sandy was in her zone as she had apparently been gardening. She wore her favorite dirty blue jeans, old white tennis shoes, and a dirt dusted flowery apron. Her hands were filthy with soil and her hair was whipped up into a high ponytail, dangerously mimicking her daughter's. It almost scared Touko how similar they both were in appearance, especially when people would mistake them for sisters in public.

"It's so great to have you home!" Sandy spouted happily, a wide grin splaying across her face, her straight white teeth in center view. "I've been waiting for this day for four years!" After her last squeal, she took her daughter into her arms once more, gave her another life threatening squeeze and then released her, marveling at her presence once again before taking Touko's hand into her dirty palm. "There's someone I want you to meet. Wait, what happened to you?"

Touko's fear came to life once her mother dropped her hand and eye-balled her dirty appearance. Gulping once Touko muttered, "I tripped in the forest."

Sandy's eyes became wide. "You took the forest path!?"

Touko nodded. "I tripped because I remembered Jake . . ."

"Did he come after you!?" Her mother was becoming frantic.

Touko shook her head vigorously before she lied. "N-no. I didn't see him." Sandy exhaled with immediate relief and quick grabbed Touko's hand once more.

Without another word, Touko complied with her mother's coaxing tugs. So many anxious questions were running through her mind, but she refrained from any sort of interrogations as she had all the time in the world to ask them at a later time. Yes, she wanted to know how her mother had been faring without her, but she also wanted to know the juicy news about Ghetsis and why he could possibly be so close to her home. But she now became inquisitive to know just who it was that her mother wanted her to meet, causing all other questions and concerns to vanish.

Upon arriving in front of the white screen door, Sandy stopped and turned around, giving Touko a sudden, serious blue-eyed stare, the complete opposite of her positive and happy mood just seconds before. "My dear, a few things have changed since you've been gone." Her voice was flat now, and almost solemn, her excitement leaving it entirely. Touko was stunned by her mother's new tone of voice. Her eyes traveled aimlessly down her mother's apron and landed on a large bruise on her right forearm. Sandy didn't miss her staring. "Ah, the pains of gardening. . . Touko?" The young girl's eyes shot back up to level with her mother's. "Please have an open mind . . . I've been lonely."

Touko's brows furrowed. She knew that sentence could only mean one thing; her mother had found a man, or adopted a child, as much as Touko could have wished.

"Sandy? Who are you talking to?"

Touko's ears perked when she heard the deep male voice. Her assumption was proven correct. A flood of emotions rampaged through her veins in one mad flash. She couldn't fathom the fact of sharing her mother or her home with someone else. She'd lived most of her adolescent life man-free, with no one to answer to but her mother. The last man she had interacted with was her own father, whom had been mentally abusive to both her and Sandy, and by the grace of Arceus he left them when she was the age of seven. If Touko hadn't of had the worst of memories, she may have found a man in her childhood home more welcoming, but there was not enough room for an open mind as her mother so wished.

"Why?" Touko whispered, tears slowly creeping up at the pace of snails.

"Please," Sandy pleaded, "understand, my love. He's a good man, I promise."

Touko sneered. She promised?

"Sandy," came the man's voice once more, sterner this time. Touko took a step back, reacting cautiously to his tone. "Who's there? Oh!"

Touko stepped back further and her mother followed suit, thus giving the man more room to open the screen door outward. He didn't come outside entirely, only stood in the doorway holding open the screen door. Touko's shyness kicked in almost instantly as her gaze fell to the man's tan bare feet. And her eyes remained there, until his gentle voice ruptured her trance.

"You must be Touko, my new step daughter."

Touko's head shot up from the ground and met the man's soft brown eyes for the first time. He most certainly was of the tall, dark and handsome type, with tan skin, an impressive height, and jet black hair sprinkled with gray, signifying his age of possible mid-forties.

Touko broke the stranger's eye contact and rounded on her mother. "W-what?" Sandy just grinned at her, cheeks turning a pale pink as she lifted her left hand. A beautiful diamond ring and silver wedding band was snug upon her ring finger. Touko had been so perplexed with their reunion that she didn't spot the two rings, despite their bright gleam in the sunlight.

"Why didn't you call me?" Touko asked, her voice wavering mildly with a touch of frustration.

"I wanted to surprise you, dear," Sandy cooed innocently, as if convinced that she made the right choice.

"Please Touko, come inside," the man insisted, smiling sweetly and opening the door wider in beckon for the two women to enter. Before Touko could object, her mother had her gently by the arm. Touko complied, knowing there was no turning back and that she had to accept her mother's choices in life, regardless of how reckless they may seem. She knew this day would come, only she wasn't expecting it so soon, and especially without warning.

No sooner had Touko taken her first two steps inside her old house had the man already held out his hand in greeting. "My name is Carson. It is a pleasure to meet you, Touko," he warmly introduced himself, as if Touko was a guest in his house rather than him being the alien intruder.

Reluctantly, she took his hand. His palm was warm and soft, and his grip was firm yet gentle. His eyes maintained the same soft, nonthreatening vibe as he gazed down upon her. She felt deep down that this man, Carson, wasn't all that bad after all, though she couldn't get over the sudden change in her mother's lifestyle all too suddenly. "Nice to meet you too, Carson," Touko muttered shyly. Her so-called new father-in-law released her small hand and smiled broadly, revealing pearly white teeth perfectly accented by his tan skin. Touko's jaw nearly dropped and heat rushed to her cheeks. Her mother surely had caught herself a tall, dark and handsome type, and Touko felt thoroughly embarrassed for finding him even the least bit attractive considering how she had to be over half his age.

"Um, excuse me," Touko muttered as she quickly scurried away through her small, two bedroom house, darting even faster up the stairs to her room. From the corners of her eyes she found that the bottom level hadn't changed a bit. The same blue matching furniture still resided in the small living room and the same family portraits still hung in the white and tan kitchen and dining room. But she couldn't detect any changes in her mother's room as the door was shut tight, and personally, she didn't want to see any changes _in there_.

Her hand rested anxiously on the knob to her bedroom door. Touko dreaded what may lay behind the barrier. She suspected a storage room full of _his _stuff, then a room full of nothing, and then a room full of her stuff boxed and ready to be shipped off. She took a deep breath, turned the handle, and pushed through the door. She heaved a sigh of relief; her room hadn't been touched in the least. The most that had been accomplished was a good dusting.

She absorbed the familiar sight of her tan Hoot-Hoot bed spread, her velvet Emolga plush chair sitting just below her only window, and her long wooden computer desk in the far corner. She dropped her bags and flip flops to the hardwood floor and dug her bare toes into the green shaggy round rug in the middle of her room, feeling the thick and twisting strands between her toes. She felt almost like a child again as she stood in the room she grew up in. She was glad to be home.

She skipped back down the stairs, taking them two at a time and gracefully fluttered onto the landing without a sound. She was grateful to find everything in her home intact, just the way she left it, but she had a strange eagerness to leave. Regardless of her rather rude surprise, she still wanted to reunite with her friends, Bianca and Cheren. To make her anxiousness worse, she had a load of questions to ask them as well, questions that pertained to Team Plasma and the Ghetsis Harmonia that just saved her minutes ago.

Her mother had been talking to Carson in the kitchen before she stopped at Touko's ever so soundless entry. "Touko, would you like some fresh green tea?" Carson was the first to speak. He held up a warm glass of green tea, three-quarters of the way full, leaving just enough room for ice. Touko considered his offer for a moment; she loved green tea, but she had to decline.

"Thanks Carson, but no thanks," Touko bypassed politely, smiling faintly. Turning slowly, she grinned at her mother and asked, "Where is Cheren and Bianca? I've got so much to talk to them about!"

"Oh I wish you three kept in touch more often! Bianca has become Juniper's apprentice, traveling the region and doing vigorous research. And Cheren is now the Aspertia City gym leader!" her mother exclaimed, clearly excited for the two that she often called her second and third child. Touko's jaw nearly dropped again. She couldn't fathom how far all three of them advanced in life after their Pokemon journeys. She did wish they kept in touch more often, but as school become more and more demanding, she slowly lost track of the emails they were writing back and forth. She hoped they would understand how exhausting study was for becoming a marine Pokemon biologist, one of her biggest life ambitions aside from becoming a Pokemon Champion.

"I am so excited for the both of them," Touko proclaimed excitedly, "be right back." In nearly a blink of an eye, Touko had run back up the stairs, gathered her bag and flip-flops and darted back down again. She shortly contemplated that a change of cloths was in order, but that would have taken too much time. She could always change atop Zekrom's back; she'd done it before. "I'm headed to Aspertia City! If you don't mind . . ." Touko proclaimed as she made a quick run by the kitchen to bid them farewell. She felt it was the obvious first choice, as Cheren was stationary compared to Bianca who was abroad, her location being unknown.

"That's perfectly fine, Touko," Sandy said, obliging.

"Hold on a moment," objected Carson. He rounded on the young Touko, locking his brown eyes with her blue ones and smiling warmly. "Touko darling, where are you manners? It is only polite to spend your time with your mother here at home after being gone four long years. There is plenty of time for ripping and running tomorrow. Before you know it you'll be on your way back to Johto."

Touko was taken aback by his sudden objection to her free spirit and right to leave, but he did have a point. Although the last thing she wanted to do was take orders from a man she barely knew, she couldn't deny that she probably should stay home and catch up with her mom, regardless if she was home for the entire summer. She sighed, feeling defeated by courtesy.

"I . . . guess you're right," she responded, averting her gaze from the tall man, feeling foolish. How selfish she had been, wanting to leave so fast. On top of that, she was amazed at how easily intimidated she had been by her new stepfather. That aspect alone sent a round of shivers down her spine. She couldn't stand being controlled and manipulated.

Carson smiled and placed a gentle hand on Touko's shoulder, causing her to jerk in sudden surprise. "Stay here for a couple of days, get settled in before you venture back out into this region. We could also become more acquainted, if that's alright with you," he suggested. Touko timidly backed away, shaking his hand form her shoulder. She wasn't ready to acquaint herself with the exquisitely tall and handsome middle-aged man.

"But, I would really like to see Cheren, I have a lot to ask him . . ."

"I'm sure you can call the Aspertia City gym," Carson insisted assertively.

That was a thought. . . But the man before her didn't understand; _she just saw Ghetsis in the woods!_

"Please, Carson," Sandy intervened cautiously, "She has all the time in the world right now. She should go see her friends, it's not rude to leave us. She has a dragon and a Pidgeot after all! She can maneuver the skies with ease, and she'll be back here before long."

Carson turned to Sandy and frowned, his eyes turning a serious darker brown. For a fraction of a second, Touko could almost see the fear in her mother's eyes. She had been very cautious when she countered Carson, almost fearful. Touko didn't fancy that at all. There was something about the man that caused Touko suspicion. He was too assertive, overconfident. Why did he care what she did and did not do? She found it peculiar that he administered some degree of control over her, when in reality he had no right; she was a free, of-age individual. She could live on her own if she desired. And most importantly, Touko didn't like the timid tone of voice her mother used around him. Something wasn't right.

After a lingering moment of silence, Carson turned back to Touko and nodded. "Sandy's right. Go ahead Touko, go see your friends," he finally obliged, his tone softer than before.

Touko nodded her thanks to her new acquaintance and briefly hugged her mother goodbye before bolting out of the house in a near sprint. She could_ almost_ understand where Carson was coming from as she set off to leave. She did _just _arrive home after all, but she knew that if Carson hadn't have been there, she more than likely would have stayed longer. Having a new man-of-the-house residing in her home was a little too much for Touko to handle at the moment. She had to get away and her friends were the perfect excuse as she wasn't ready to cope with the sudden life change.

As she shuffled on down the stone path of her yard she fished through her bag for her Pigeot's ball, anxious to experience his speed once again. Though Zekrom was a mighty dragon and could fly at extreme heights, he could not compete where Pigeot's speed and agility were concerned.

Just before she reached the forbidden woods she set her massive bird Pokemon free. It stood nearly a foot taller than she, squawking in greeting and flapping its massive wings happily, ready for takeoff. Touko walked around him and stroked the smooth white feathers of his underbelly before hopping atop his back and holding tight to his long-feathered mane. _Oh how Cheren will envy me! _Touko mischievously thought as Johto Pokemon such as Pigeot were so rare in the Unova region.

"To Aspertia City, Pidgeot!" She called out anxiously. But when bird remained stationary, swimming in a pool of confusion, Touko realized he did not know the area. "Right . . . that way!" she shouted, gesturing toward the west. And Pigeot was off at such a pace that he nearly flung Touko from his back. She gripped his long orange and yellow feathers securely in reflex, frightened for her life. Yes, she loved his speed, but she still doubted her own clumsy habit of falling off her Pokemon.

They flew over the thick forest and soon soared over the beaches of Nuvema. Touko frowned down upon the sandy earth below them, where not a soul lay sunbathing or having fun. Out of all the beaches in Unova, Nuvema's only one lay untouched, and it was all due to that scum bag Jake. No one wanted to cross paths with the registered sex offender, not even grown men. Although many men had taken a few good swings at him.

Just before they soared over the waterline, a bright, blinding ray of light hit Touko suddenly, causing her look up from the beaches below her and shield her eyes. Pigeot was affected by it too as his flight wavered and he squawked in discomfort. The flash vanished like magic in a mere instant. Touko managed to blink the white spots from her vision just in time to notice the giant solar panel of the large ship docked by the abandoned island. The panel had been the source of the sudden reflection from the sun.

"Wait Pidgeot! Down there!" Touko ordered, pointing down anxiously to the island. She was grateful for the bright flash of light shattering her vision momentarily, for she nearly forgot about the strange ship she passed earlier. Cheren could wait a few more minutes; she had to know more about the strange and beautiful vessel.

Pigeot circled around with ease and glided effortlessly down to the warm sands of the earth, landing lightly as a feather. Touko was always grateful for Pidgeot's soft landings; he didn't throw her off his back nearly every time as Zekrom did.

After sliding down the bird's height, she recalled him and called out Raichu in his place. Her mouse Pokemon was fierce and could emit extremely high doses of life threatening electricity. He was the perfect protection in case anything bad were to happen on her little side-step of an adventure.

Not a soul was present on or near the ship. All that could be heard was the soft rippling of the waves as they brushed against and soaked the sand only feet away. Touko took in the overpowering sight before her, almost second-guessing her motives. But the ship spiked her curiosity, luring her in; she couldn't turn back now. The way the sun shone against the solar panel and glistened against the freshly polished wood enticed Touko that much more. A vibrant blue strip of energy lined the base of the ship, separating the wood from the water, and it stretched all the way around and to the bowsprit, accenting the ships overall aurora and elegance. The ship had to belong to someone rich and maybe even famous! It was far too clean and perfect to simply be abandoned.

Raichu yawned causally and licked his paw, squinting as he did so in the sun's bright rays. The plump mouse didn't care too much for the sight before them as Touko had, but she was destined to drag him along nonetheless. "Stay close, Chu," Touko whispered before obeying the ship's luring vibe and taking her first step toward the impressive vessel.

* * *

_A/N: I truly do suck at 3rd person. This fiction's good for me, it gives me room to practice and grow. _

_Oh, and the house is slightly different from the game. All I've done was add an extra bedroom to the bottom level. The games can be so NOT logical at times when it comes to building structure. _


	3. Stay a While

**Stay a While**

* * *

Touko cautiously inched closer to the vessel with Chu trotting along beside her, completely at ease. The ship transformed into something more impressive. The glowing blue strip beneath it appeared to vibrate, like it was alive with energy, and the middle beam grew taller as she strained her neck to look up its height. If she could climb it and the wide and shinning solar panel, she could knock on Arceus' gates the moment she reached the top.

A problem soon arose, causing Touko to stop momentarily and contemplate giving up her unnecessary adventure. Chu bumped into her lightly and chirped his agitation. The young hero sighed her disappointment as there was no way she could simply walk onto the ship; there was no gate or bridge leading up to the deck. She thought for a moment of Pidgeot and how he could fly her onto the deck, and the idea was an appealing one, until a shining metal boarding bridge burst forth on its own and inched its way downward into the sand.

Touko eyed the bridge with suspicion. Something must have triggered its movements, meaning that someone was indeed present on the ship and was inviting her aboard. Touko felt vulnerable as she stood there in the hot sand with her small yet stout Raichu by her side. Compared to the ship they were specks, but her vulnerability evaporated once she recalled her large black dragon that was half the ship's size and could blast it to shreds with one powerful hit. Touko quickly shifted through the side pocket of her bag, found Zekrom's ball and then attached it safely to her belt for easy access. If anything were to go wrong, she had an unstoppable force at arm's length.

Touko moved on slowly until her left foot came into contact with the metal bridge. She breathed slowly as nervous butterflies fluttered about in the pit of her stomach. She thought about illegal trespassing and that funny saying referring to how curiosity killed the Meoth. These thoughts almost made her want to forget it, but the bridge came down for her, and that could've only meant someone was inviting her aboard; she couldn't be trespassing. She made up her mind and progressed.

The bridge took her higher than she expected, and looking over the edge to the bright blue waters beneath her made her want to drop to her knees and hold on for the sake of life. She skipped ahead until her sandals came into firm contact with the wooden deck. Touko spun around quickly to make certain her yellow and tan, curly-eared rodent of a Raichu was still behind her; he was strolling up the bridge with ease and not a worry in the world. If Chu was at ease, then she knew she could be too, as he was keen at sensing danger when it was near. He hopped to her side on the deck and gave her a reassuring "Rai!" before he began trotting around exploring his new surroundings.

Matching Chu's content behavior, Touko scanned the deck for signs of movement or life. No one was present, but that was a hard fact to determine as the large metal casing holding the middle beam took up most of her view of the other half of the deck. As Touko nervously glanced from side to side, she noticed how the ship's frame was a solid steel that wrapped around every edge of the deck. Where there wasn't thick steel there was sleek shinning wood, everywhere.

Her next order of direction was to her left toward the front, near the bowsprit. As she moved forward she kept a cautious eye on her surroundings, keeping watch for anyone else on board by keeping her peripherals keen. She climbed the metal steps up to the front main deck and was mildly relieved to find no one present . . . almost anyway. As she feared she was still trespassing and didn't want to mingle with an angry owner of the ship, she still had a small irking to meet him or her while she would complement them on their vessel.

With Raichu still close behind her, Touko stepped forward. Despite the neutral colors of the thick gray steel and the basic brown wood of the deck, the ship was still impressive on all accounts. It may not have been the most romantic of any fantasy ship she'd visualized, but it still had its potential. It was a warship, she soon concluded as she climbed two small levels of metal to reach the front-end of the ship. Touko's breath was nearly taken away as the bright scene below her unfolded. The ocean became a whole new world as it lay in front of her, blue and sparkling and waiting to be explored. The warm and salty wind blew against her face and causing her hair to flow freely behind her. She could only have imagined what it was like to sail full speed across the open waters on such a massive, dominating ship.

"So curious, you are."

Touko froze and her stomach leapt into her throat momentarily. She knew that deep and stern voice to be Ghetsis Harmonia's. With a nervous shaking hand, she gripped Zekrom's ball at her side for precaution and slowly turned to face the menace behind her. The former leader of Team Plasma remained in the slimming outfit she had spied him in earlier, with the same intimidating and menacing persona. She wasn't used to his new dress, especially since it slimmed him down so dramatically and even gave him a younger vibe, but his face remained the same despite his casual, nonthreatening expression, accented by the new black eyepiece.

Touko looked down momentarily to Raichu who sat casually on the last step below her, not at all phased by Ghetsis' presence. She knew the rodent had no idea who the man was or what he was capable of. Ghetsis smirked, the left side of his mouth tugging into a small smile. "Would you like a tour?" he asked in the sweetest voice possible. Touko felt her mouth hang slightly open in surprise. She couldn't fathom how he was so . . . presentable, calm, docile even, like he wouldn't hurt a Caterpie. And above all he was asking his number one adversary if she'd like a tour. _Is this really happening? _Touko thought. _Has he truly changed? _The desire to explore the ship mixed thickly with the emotion of fear and suspicion, until she finally concluded he couldn't hurt her as long as she had Zekrom by her side.

"The ship is mine," Ghetsis added before turning on his heel and heading toward the staircase. Touko looked after him as he walked, receiving a full view of his tall and slim backside, every inch of it, from the bottom of his heel to the soft green hair the flowed in a low ponytail down his back. Touko quivered slightly as she caught herself checking his firm and perfectly outlined rear a second time. Touko shied away instantly, completely ashamed of herself for looking at him in such a way.

Ghetsis stopped and turned to his guest just before touching the first step. "Come if you wish," he beckoned before carrying on down the flight of stairs. Touko debated on following him. She peered down to Raichu and noticed he was wobbling down the path Ghetsis took down the stairs. Panic uprooted her from the spot and she quickly skipped across the main deck and down the stairs following them, fearful Ghetsis may snatch Raichu.

She found herself by Chu's side in an instant. Gently she grabbed his lightning bolt tail and tugged him toward her and away from Ghetsis. The Plasma Sage stopped walking and turned to face her. Sensing her fear and cautiousness he spoke again. "I won't harm you," he reassured her kindly. "Nice Rodent."

Touko looked up at him with surprise after she got an agitated Raichu firmly by her side. She couldn't fathom how he had to assure her that he wouldn't harm her. Did he sense her fear? Did he plan on hurting her later? Had he really changed? These same questions swam in her mind's eye before she pathetically muttered, "Thanks," in response to his compliment.

"Ah, you speak." Ghetsis sounded amazed. "You're welcome, by the way. Tour?" he proposed as he held his hand forward, indicating for Touko and her 'nice' rodent to follow. Touko however, stood stationary, eyeing him and the steel bridge that led to freedom. This did not go unnoticed by Ghetsis.

"I understand that we didn't get off on the right foot— the last few encounters we've had," Ghetsis began, turning toward her as he spoke. "In case you haven't heard, Team Plasma is finished and I have given up on all ambitious attempts to take over the world." Ghetsis paused to absorb her reaction. Touko breathed lightly in relief at his declaration of forfeit, but she still couldn't trust him, she feared. "If you won't humor my invitation, then you might want to leave to find shelter soon," he added, pointing westward. "A storm is brewing."

Touko turned her gaze to the west and spied a blanket of thick cloud cover creeping their way. Short bolts of lightning glistened in the far distance, moving from Aspertia City where she would have been heading if her curiosity hadn't of stopped her. She knew she couldn't travel to see Cheren now, and the only other choices she had was to stay for a tour delivered by her worst enemy, or head back home to become more acquainted with her newest enemy, Carson. She chose the first and nodded absentmindedly towards Ghetsis.

"Tour then?" he asked.

"Y-yes," she replied shyly.

"Come," Ghetsis beckoned as he moved onward.

"Stay close," Touko whispered to Raichu as she followed the man she'd once loathed. She couldn't put her finger on her willingness to comply as she so effortlessly followed the exceedingly tall man across the deck of his ship. Had her hatred faded over the course of four years, or had his dress change and reassuring voice have something to do with it? She felt she would soon find out, and prayed all for the better.

Touko followed him to the tail-end of the ship before he stopped. She stopped as well before noticing two sets of staircases on either side of the deck leading up. Then she noticed a large opening in the middle, just below the higher deck. Ghetsis turned around, a calm expression present on his almost kind face. "There is nothing to see at the top of those stairs but more wood and steel," he declared, gesturing up to the large metal dome and end sail. "Through here," he began, now gesturing straight towards the open square cavern, "leads to the operations cabin . . . and my chambers."

Nerves shot up Touko's spine. She wasn't sure she was ready to go inside the ship, hidden away from sight at the mercy of her worst enemy. Her curiosity was quickly vanishing at the thought of a possible ambush the moment she entered through that doorway. She took a swift step back, a hand now firmly on Zekrom's ball.

"I understand if you don't trust me," Ghetsis said casually. "You're free to go at any time." Touko stood still and stared at him. She knew she was free to go and she knew she could easily defeat him if he tried anything slick, but he just managed again to reassure her he meant no harm. How was he doing it? She was speechless as she stared at him stupidly, fighting an internal war of trust and betrayal. Her anxiety brought her back to the forest and how he _saved _her from the grasp of a rapist, and even then Ghetsis could have taken her for himself and hurt her severely. _But he didn't._

"Are you okay?" Ghetsis asked gently, tilting his head to one side curiously. "I wish you would speak . . ."

"I'm fine," Touko muttered, stepping back further. Ghetsis didn't buy it.

"This is going too fast, I know. Listen, I am only trying to be polite by providing you a tour since you so keenly came aboard and clearly curious to explore," Ghetsis proposed. Touko understood that he had a point with his demonstration of manners, but all she could seem to remember was his insanity the day she defeated him. "I won't harm you," he proclaimed once more, "and I won't fight you. Look." He pointed over her head and she looked to the side in the same direction. "The storm is getting closer. You must go home now or come down below to escape the rain and dangerous lightning."

Touko saw that he had a point. The dark gray clouds were moving faster toward them, and soon the sun's bright rays were hidden behind thick precipitation. A low and deep rumble met Touko's ears. There was no way she could visit Cheren now and she had to make a choice fast, and that choice was made by the first raindrop to hit Raichu's nose, causing him to spring forward into the opening under the higher deck.

"Chu!" Touko growled as she hurtled after him, not paying Ghetsis any mind as she passed. The moment she stepped through the vacant doorway she saw Raichu encased in several green circles of light before he vanished, emitting his usual playful chirp just seconds before his departure. Touko was panic stricken, and in her panic she sprung forward and ran into the bright green light in pursuit of her now missing Raichu. A strange, tingling feeling soon overtook her, and before she could take another breath she was lurched from side to side, the world of green and gray spinning around her like a tornado, until her feet came into contact with solid ground once more. She moved out of the pulsing green light quickly yet clumsily, still dizzy from the strange form of transport she'd just experienced.

Raichu was standing before her, content as ever. "Don't run off like that, Chu!" Touko scolded, but he only tilted his head in confusion as she never scolded him for anything. Sighing in defeat, she looked around her. The floor was a thick metal as were the walls and ceiling. A blue strip lined the top and bottom of the walls, and behind Raichu resided a rather large and empty tube with two smaller tubes on each side. She drew closer to the strange sight before her. There were so many computers, tubes and wires surrounding the biggest empty tube that Touko couldn't fathom how anyone could know where each one went and what purpose they homed. The two largest computers were connected by one thick tube pulsing with yellow electricity and emitting a low vibrating pulse. Touko then realized the whole ship seemed to pulse with a low sounding energy.

"The control room is to your right, my office and chambers are to your left, and the basic storage and energy tubes are behind us." Touko jumped and nearly fell at Ghetsis' voice and sudden appearance behind her. He held up his hands in a nonthreatening manner. "It's okay. Where would you like to go first?" Touko was taken aback and amazed that he wasn't hurting her or trying to steal her Pokemon. Instead he wanted to continue on with his tour and hospitality.

Touko gulped nervously and eyed Raichu. Her Pokemon was looking casually back and forth between herself and Ghetsis, completely at ease and waiting for the next move. Touko knew she had to trust her Raichu and his instincts, and so far he didn't sense Ghetsis to be a threat. Touko made a nervous decision. "The control room," she muttered.

Ghetsis smiled and gestured toward the right, urging her forward. Touko slowly advanced and Raichu followed her close until they came across a narrow dead end with another green and pulsing portal waiting to transport them to another dimension. Touko turned around to face Ghetsis, and for the first time, she engaged him with a question. "What are they?" she asked, turning back toward the portal again.

Ghetsis smiled once more and answered her question with the pride she knew all too well. "They are transportation portals that make navigation around this ship easier. They are also used to confuse intruders. You see, they all lead to one another in different ways. Where one leads to a room right below it, the next one will lead to the opposite end of the vessel. If you don't know which one is which, you're lost, which is why you need me, or else you'll never make it out of here." His voice was coated in confidence and drenched in arrogance as he spoke. Touko could tell he was proud of his ship, but she didn't like the idea of needing him in order to escape its tricky portals.

"I see," Touko muttered, half understanding the purpose of the portals. Her next question was a bold one. "Is this a trick? Will you let me get lost forever?" She felt foolish for her question once Ghetsis smiled broadly and chuckled down upon her.

"No, my dear. When you are ready to leave just let me know," he said, reassuring her safety inside the great Plasma vessel. She almost cringed when he called her 'dear.' She would never have imagined him using such a phrase, especially with her. She ground her teeth and looked toward the portal once more. "After you," Ghetsis urged.

Clearly understanding the Sage's words, Raichu sprung forward and jumped into the green light, eager to feel the spinning effects for a second time. Touko dove after him and entered the light herself just after he disappeared. A small excitement sprouted inside her as she began to move from side to side and then spin rapidly. She fell out quickly and staggered once, feeling dizzy from the ride. She giggled out loud and Raichu greeted her with his swift chirps of happiness before he sprung forward again and ran around a brightly lit blue and metal room.

The first object Touko saw was the wheel that steered the ship. It was taller than her, outlined with a glowing aqua light and constructed with thick steel. She cautiously inched closer and ran an index finger down the tallest spike of the wheel, sensing the vibrating energy within it, and feeling the ice cold temperature of the metal.

"Ah, the helm. You may turn it if you wish." Ghetsis' soft voice made Touko jump backward and right into him. Quickly she scurried to the side in fright and gripped Zekrom's ball instinctively. Ghetsis frowned down upon her, disappointment clear across his face. "I didn't mean to startle you. I apologize."

Touko didn't quite know how to react to his sudden apology. Finally she gave him a quiet nod and then timidly strolled up the stairs in pursuit of her Raichu, leaving a saddened Ghetsis behind her.

All that resided at the top of the landing was a small computer desk, complete with a large wide screen with an electronic map of Unova splayed across it. A blue chair sat in front of it, snug against the desk with Raichu sitting comfortably in its middle. The plump mouse Pokemon turned and chirped happily at his trainer before bounding out of the chair and down the stairs again. Touko laughed lightly to herself at Chu's goofy behavior.

After following Chu down the staircase she found him messing around in more blue chairs in front of control panels that lined a long winding window around the room. Touko gazed out into the distance and found that they were at the front end of the ship, below the bowsprit. The scene before her was just as breath taking as it was on the deck. Miles and miles of ocean was ahead of them, accented by Nuvema town's beaches and forest land to the far right. Faint buzzing and beeping soon broke Touko of her scenic admiration.

"Chu!" she scolded as Raichu began poking green and red buttons with his stubby front paws. "Don't touch anything!" She quickly darted over to the far end chair and scooped her heavy mouse into her arms. "You could blow something up!" Touko growled. She wasn't sure what the massive war ship was capable of.

Ghetsis chuckled lightly in the distance. Touko had almost forgotten he was there as he watched them intently. "He wouldn't have hurt anything. The ship hasn't regained enough energy to even set sail." Touko rounded on him with a squirming Raichu in her arms and gave him a quizzical look. Ghetsis smiled broadly again as he doted on his ship once more. "The main sail you see in the middle of the deck above us is a giant solar panel. It persistently absorbs the sun's energy and stores it down below. These days . . . it can take hours, even days to reach full power before this ship can move."

Touko cocked an eyebrow. She had a slew of questions forming in her mind just begging to be answered. "Well then, how . . ." she began before Raichu grew bored and broke free of her grasp, darting around Ghetsis to the green portal before disappearing once more. Touko cursed and bolted after him, dancing swiftly around Ghetsis.

By the time Touko teleported back the way she came, she quickly recalled Raichu to his Pokeball before he could make another mad dash to a different, unknown location. She cursed Raichu's obedience as she pocketed him on the side of her bag. He never did do well with orders, even when he was a Pikachu, and she knew it was a mistake when she evolved him too early. He was too far from mature and well behaved, and she saw a long hard road ahead of her with his training.

Touko strolled along the metal path until she was in the open once more and founding herself in front of the giant vacant tube. Looking behind her she found Ghetsis emerge from the green portal. He arrived sure footed and calm, like the spinning didn't faze him.

"Where did he go?" Ghetsis asked, his one green brow furrowed. Touko sensed a vibe of worry in his voice.

"I recalled him. He was getting out of control," she replied.

Ghetsis breathed his relief. "Good. I was afraid he'd ran down there," he said, pointing down past the portal. Touko looked and saw two paths making their way around an extremely large tube that pulsed blue and white light. "That is the energy this ship has stored so far, and beyond it is a room full of tubes, machinery and traps for intruders. I fear if your Pokemon got lost in there it would take hours to find him."

Touko gripped her bag's strap around her shoulder. She was thankful she recalled Chu when she did.

Ghetsis cleared his throat. "Are you done for the day? Or would you like to tour my office, quarters, and then the bunk rooms?" Hesitant at first, Touko eventually obliged for an extended tour. "This way," Ghetsis said, leading her to the opposite end of the room to another portal.

Touko timidly took the first step and spun herself into a very dark and shadow-casted room. As her eyes adjusted she saw a slick and shining hardwood floor beneath her, reflecting the snowy light of fifteen screens that lined the wall in front of her. Before them sat a large and comfy leather chair behind a perfectly polished dark wooden desk which sat atop a royal blue carpet. Touko found the office space impressive, especially with all the screens, though they would have been more appealing with actual pictures or television programs playing.

Ghetsis crept up slowly and then made his way across the room to a door that Touko couldn't see. It blended in perfectly with the solid iron walls. "This room is my office, and there isn't much to it as you can see. Beyond here," he said, turning a key and sliding the heavy iron sideways, "is my living quarters." Ghetsis moved through the doorway without looking back.

Touko was reluctant to follow, but after reflecting on what a pleasure he had been the past several minutes, she eventually ventured through the new doorway. What lay before her was a semi-large, yet cramped living area, complete with a black leather sofa, coffee table and a wide and tall bookshelf to her immediate right, firmly against the wall. She saw Ghetsis' tall and slim figure maneuver through the darkness to the other side of the room where he flipped a few switches.

Several round lights came to life from the ceiling, casting a dim, cozy glow upon the environment. Touko could now see the vast area of the room as it extended further down the wall on her left. At the very end of the room resided his king sized bed, laden with a thick dark blue comforter and fluffy blue pillows at the head. In the middle of the room were more bookshelves that lined the walls, and in the middle resided a long, glossy wooden table with six wooden chairs. Her eyes then brushed over the couch that was closest to her once more, and found that it was connected to another, making it a sectional. Finally, at the other far corner of the room resided a small kitchen area, perfect for any one person living alone.

Touko became so entrapped by the sight of four golden delicious apples stacked perfectly in a basket atop the small bar that she didn't notice Ghetsis rejoin her side, causing her to jump when he finally spoke.

"And this is where I live— or sulk. It all depends on my mood," Ghetsis informed her, his tone sounding almost sad. Touko looked up to him, craning her neck almost painfully as he was so close. "Would you like a drink?" Ghetsis asked, gesturing a slim pale hand in the direction of the convenient kitchen.

Touko gave a small nod and soon Ghetsis was across the room, pouring her a glass of sweet iced tea from the fridge. In the time it took for him to prepare the drink, Touko made another visual round of his cozy living quarters. She saw that it was beautiful but could see that it would get gloomy fast with such dark colors and dim lighting. Ghetsis came before her with two drinks; her small glass of tea and his glass of white wine. He sat the two upon the wooden coffee table and gestured toward the leathered seat, inviting her sit.

Touko swam in a whirlpool of confusion. Ghetsis' hospitality had been overwhelming the entire time she'd spent on his mystic ship. There wasn't one threatening vibe present as all he did was smile and speak sweetly. If she hadn't of known him before, she would have deemed him the sweetest man on earth. She knew people could change, and based on what she'd heard, he had changed by giving up on all of his evil ambitions. And she saw his change firsthand the moment he saved her from Jake.

She recollected his heroic act momentarily and realized just how grateful she was that he was there. Of all the men in the world that could have saved her, it was Ghetsis Harmonia, one of the most feared Team leaders in the world.

"Touko?" Ghetsis questioned, still standing next to the sectional as he waited for her to join him.

"Thank you," Touko muttered, looking up into his one, concerned red eye, "for saving me from that old man in the forest."

Ghetsis' shade of skin darkened a pale pink as he lowered his head and smiled. "You are most welcome," he said before looking back at her and making his way to her side. "I'm sorry that happened to you, and I'm sorry you flailed around in the dirt as you fought him. I should have come sooner. You may use the bathroom to change cloths if you wish, my darling."

She shivered slightly when he called her darling. No man or boy ever called her sweet names, especially darling. And her embarrassment quickly made an ugly appearance as Ghetsis reminded her that she was a dirty mess. And then she jumped and conjured a small yelp of surprise the moment a loud and ground breaking boom shook the world around her. Ghetsis grabbed her arm to steady her, causing her a sharp intake of breath.

"Thunder. The storm is above us now," he informed before sliding the iron door shut behind Touko. She moved away from the door, out of his grip and toward the sofa before turning back around to face her once sworn enemy. Ghetsis gave her a warm smile and then tilted his head up towards the steel ceiling. Touko strained her ears and heard soft rumbling followed by a downpour so violent it could be heard faintly through the buffer of wood and steal. She made nervous eye contact with Ghetsis once more as he gazed curiously down upon her.

"Stay a while."


	4. Don't Leave

**Don't Leave**

* * *

Ghetsis fiddled with Touko's glass of tea. He centered it, and then centered it again upon the wooden coaster as he anxiously awaited her arrival from the bathroom. He paused and sipped his wine slowly before setting it back down and moving her glass farther away from him . . . and then moving it closer once more. He cursed his nerves under his breath. _She doesn't want to be close to me, _he mused as he pushed the glass away again. _But I need her close, _he desperately thought as he inched it closer to him a third time before cursing lightly and bringing his frustrated hands back into his lap. _"Damn her." _

"_Fuck," _he growled shortly after cursing her, cursing himself for daring to curse her. His head shortly fell into his hands as he fought to calm and steady his emotions. He took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly into his palms. Ghetsis had been so flustered by her sudden unannounced arrival back into her hometown that he couldn't think straight, that was until she was in proximity with him. He was flabbergasted with himself that he could even maintain control at all. To him it felt as if she calmed him, brought him back to reality, even if that reality was the harsh fact he was absolutely nothing, while alone he truly was nothing, and suffered sleepless night after sleepless night.

He slowly escaped his sweaty palms and glared at her glass of tea, concentrating hard on her and her alone, all while fighting the urge to stand and pace his room, lay down and cry, or cut himself severely again. He never, in all his years, expected himself to become so weak, but ending his life had become very appealing, and also the hardest task to accomplish as of late.

Ghetsis knew it would be hard to live day after day with the harsh reality that he would never be whole again. He never expected to lose his will to live. Why should he prosper? He contemplated the question often. He was so used to having everything and being ultimately in charge of everyone around him. Now he had nothing and no one to control. He even found that he now pushed those most faithful to him away, those few being his loyal Shadow Triad. It had been weeks, months even, since he started going downhill and losing every ray of hope. Until it all came flooding back to him the moment she set foot on his ship.

What did Touko possess that caused the man such excitement? What was it about her that gave him promise? Was it the dragon on her hip? No, he was through with every desire to rule over everyone and everything.

A loud roar of thunder shook his surroundings and a small feminine gasp brought him to his feet in an instant. There Touko stood, just paces from him, surprised and almost fear stricken. She now wore a pair of modest knee high black shorts and a plain gray tank top that so conveniently hugged every curve of her upper body. Her hair laid freely around her and was brushed to perfection. Ghetsis' red eye ran down the shinning brown length like a paintbrush as the soft strands fell around her shoulders and perfect breasts. Touko took a weary, timid step backward and Ghetsis' heart skipped a beat as he realized he was staring wordlessly at her.

"T-Touko! Please sit," he instructed, gesturing hurriedly toward her perch on the sofa. He quickly sat down with his back to her, praying to the gods above she wasn't turned off or intimidated by his loss of concentration and sudden wandering eye.

Touko made her way around the leather sectional, slowly and quietly. She eventually sat down several feet from her drink and Ghetsis' heart sank when she pulled the beverage closer to her and away from him. She placed her pack close to her and fiddled with an outside strap that homed three Pokeballs, one clearly being Zekrom's thanks to the recognizable bright coloring of the Master Ball. Ghetsis gulped hard as disappointment washed over him. From the moment she'd set foot on his ship she'd kept that ball close with a cautious hand overtop it at all times. Ghetsis had once hoped she'd be intrigued by his ship, but all she had been was fearful and cautious, like she anticipated he would going to lunge at her any moment. How could he convince her he was finished, that he'd run out of desire, resources, and support?

She sat there in silence as she fiddled with her tea, turning it clockwise and then counterclockwise atop the plastic brown coaster, lost in thought. It drove the great Sage mad that she wasn't looking at him or engaging him in conversation, and above all that she was still so fearful. _Why is she so frightened? _He thought, bewildered. _She's got Zekrom and I've got nothing. _

"I'm through," he muttered before bringing the wine glass to his lips and taking a small sip. To his amazement, Touko heard him and brought her crisp blue eyes up to meet his saddened gaze. She still didn't speak, but her quizzical expression was enough for him to explain. "With Team Plasma," he added as he sat the glass back down. Touko nodded her understanding and retreated back to staring at the ice cubes in her glass. Ghetsis ground his teeth.

"Say something, anything. Do you believe me? At least tell me you hate me . . ." Ghetsis could feel his impatience and anger getting the best of him and he knew he was only pushing her away as her eyes became wide and she began to scoot away. "No, please. Stay a while – the storm – it's dangerous out there." Before he knew it he was hiding behind his hands and heaving sigh after sigh as he managed to control his outburst before it spiraled into another panic attack. _"I need help," _he whispered.

There was a long pause before another word was said. Ghetsis swore he'd run her off and that she would be gone once he escaped the temporary shelter of his hands. "I . . . believe you – I think." Her soft whisper was like an angel's voice caressing his ears. He pulled out of his hands and gazed at her from afar. She stared back at him, not with fear but with concern in her blue eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked in that same timid voice. She had managed to scoot all the way to the opposite end of the sofa.

He nodded once and fell back into another pondering trance as he eyed her. He couldn't fathom how she beat him the first time. She had been so small, and so . . . humble, modest even. But he had to remember he never truly talked to her until their encounter in the castle, and even then she barely acknowledged him. He had to remember she talked to his foster son, N, more than she did him. He was a complete stranger to her where N was almost an acquaintance, a friend even.

He realized the last memory she held of him was his insane lunatic screaming and shouting.

Gone, as quickly as it came, was the memory of his insane outburst as he was drug away by Alder and Cheren, and all Ghetsis wished to do was put a bullet in his brain that very moment.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out stupidly. He looked away from her and sighed. _No wonder she is so frightened. _

"For what?" she asked. He turned back to her in amazement. Was she engaging him now? She tilted her head to the right and became brow furrowed as she awaited an answer.

Ghetsis stumbled over his words. "For e-everything. For screaming at you last time. I didn't mean it – I swear. For what I did to N. For . . . taking Kyurem and fighting Hugh and . . . and."

"It's okay," Touko whispered reassuringly, stopping Ghetsis' ramble before he embarrassed himself further. Ghetsis shook his head, more in disbelief than disagreement, and soon found refuge in his hands once more.

"_I need help,"_ he whispered sadly once again. Arceus knew he did need help and a lot of it. But who could provide him said help? All he knew were ambitious dreams of ruling the world, and now that possibility was dead, especially with trainers like Touko and Hugh in the region. The only help he could accept now was guidance away from such a life style. He wished someone could help him accept his failures. He needed someone to help him see things differently and teach him how to be happy with what he had.

Silence strolled on as seconds transformed into minutes. The thunder rolled outside, surrounding the two adversaries in deep rolling waves of sound.

"With what?" Touko finally broke the silence. Her sweet voice rattled him from his hands and he looked up to her, mildly fearful that what he may say next would ruin everything.

"I just –I" Ghetsis breathed in quickly and averted his eyes from hers, completely lost for the right words to speak.

"Breathe," she advised. "Just talk. It's okay."

Ghetsis shot her a look of amazement. Just moments ago it was him assuring her everything was okay and that he meant her no harm. And now she was assuring him safety, like she would not judge him. He prayed she wouldn't as he was about to reveal to her his deepest feelings, his deepest wishes, wishes that he hadn't had the courage to reveal to his own faithful Shadow Triad.

"I wish someone could – teach me." He trailed off momentarily until her eager, hopeful eyes met his one. She nodded and urged him to continue. "Teach me – the right way. Teach me . . . another way to live. I just – want to be happy." He stopped talking abruptly and ran his large hand through his soft green hair. He looked around nervously before locking his eyes with hers once again, and to his relief she half smiled before taking her first sip of tea. His breath was nearly taken away as her soft red lips touched the rim, trusting _him_ with her drink. He almost swore she wouldn't drink simply because she might assume he would poison her.

She willfully swallowed the liquid and placed the glass down upon the coaster before looking up to him with concerned eyes. "How have you managed to evade Looker?" she questioned causally. Ghetsis was thankful she was growing more comfortable in his presence, while mildly disappointed she didn't seem to care for him confiding in her with his true wishes and desires. He felt foolish. Who was he kidding? Did he think _she _could teach him how to be happy, and how to move on with his life? She wouldn't be willing to devote the time.

He breathed steadily before replying. "I've been shut up in here, in this little room inside my ship."

She raised one brown eyebrow curiously. "Has looker been on this ship looking for you?"

Ghetsis momentarily bathed in the essence that was her voice. Her tone was so sweet, feminine and young. Every word seemed to caress and sooth every inch of what little sanity he had left, calming his nerves. Why hadn't she spoken more in the years past? Ghetsis couldn't put his finger on his current state of mind as his ears drank in her sweet voice. He tried his best to break free and answer her questions. "Yes . . . he has," he answered timidly, taking another small sip of white wine while never taking his eyes off the radiant hero before him.

"So I assume he can't find this room?" She quizzed further, matching his movements by taking a drink of her own beverage.

He bathed in her words once more. _So smart she is, _he mused to himself. "You assume correctly, darling." He once thought that addressing her by sweet names would assure her that he meant no harm, but all she appeared to do was blush and fidget every time. He could sense her discomfort with his words and he instantly apologized. "Sorry –"

"For what?" she inclined, looking up with a light shade of pink still plastered upon her cheeks.

"For – calling you . . . darling." Ghetsis wanted to die; he was ruining everything.

"No. You're fine. I don't mind." Her shy voice proved him right; he made her uncomfortable, or, bashful. Was she flattered?

Ghetsis suddenly became hasty. A new spark of hope came to life inside him and he quickly came to the conclusion that she was the only one who could help him. It was the reality that Touko wasn't running from him that very moment that gave him some sense of achievement. _Yes, she can help me, _he concluded. She had a good heart, a kind heart, a heart of golden purity; she was the only one who could help him see a new light. It was her purity and kindness that the dragon saw in her and why she had become a hero. She was so good and perfect that Ghetsis had become convinced that she could be his hero as well. The only task that remained now was getting her to see it.

"Could you –"

"What did you use this ship for?" Her question only saved him from utter embarrassment, and now he was stuck finding a way to avoid an answer and revealing the horrid truth. Ghetsis held his breath as he fished for an appropriate answer to her question. "Could I, what?" she added curiously.

Ghetsis gulped nervously and looked away. "The ship was my second attempt at conquering Unova," Ghetsis replied flatly, completely avoiding the young woman's gaze and revealing the truth he once hoped to conceal.

"I thought Kyurem was your second attempt."

"I used the two together. Kyurem powered this ship. Did you keep up with the Unovian news while you were away?" Ghetsis made certain there was no agitation in his tone, only modest curiosity. His voice remained soft and gentle as he quizzed her back, and he prayed she didn't find his questions insulting. He couldn't help but wonder how she didn't know unless she was playing stupid. The whole world knew of his and Hugh's final run-in, so how could she not know the details?

Touko shook her head, affirming a negative. "No. I got busy. And I lost track of time as well as losing contact with my friends. I kind of became a recluse . . ."

"Why?" Ghetsis asked eagerly. He became concerned and wanted to know more. How could the young woman before him, being what she was, the ultimate hero, want to seclude herself from society? He wondered sadly if it had anything to do with him.

"Why has the international police not taken this ship? Why is it here?" Touko asked, dodging the interrogation that was becoming too personal.

"Colress. Dear, why?" Ghetsis didn't want to let it go; he had to know.

"Colress? That funny looking scientist? He worked for you, didn't he? I remember seeing his face on one of the headlines last year," Touko said, still managing to avoid his questioning. She inched forward and took another swig of her tea while she eyed him eagerly.

Ghetsis had no choice but to drop his hopeful interrogation and go forward with the answers to her questions. He nodded and gave her a full explanation. "Yes he did, and the headline you might have seen was one regarding him being released on probation. He wasn't the true villain, as you know, so he got off easy for helping me build the ship and attempt to conquer the world." Ghetsis paused momentarily to receive another sip of sweet wine. "Only because he helped build the ship did the IP allow him to keep it. As far as they know, the ship is his and I'm still on the run. I've docked it next to this island because the building that resides here was once a Plasma research facility. Not anymore, however . . ."

Touko stared at him for some time as she digested his words. Eventually she nodded. "I see," she began, "So why stay in the ship? Why stay in Unova?" Ghetsis took her words as a swift jab to the heart. He felt – no, he knew she wanted him gone. She wanted him away from her and away from Unova. He had to defend himself.

"This ship is all I have left and Unova is my home," he replied sadly. "Should it matter?" he then challenged. "I'm no longer a threat."

Touko became brow furrowed, and to Ghetsis' astonishment, she nodded once more. "Unova is your home and it should not matter – if you truly have changed," she stated, agreeing with him and making her true feelings clear. Another ray of hope beamed inside the Plasma Sage. _It should not matter as long as I've changed!_

"I have," Ghetsis added affirmatively before taking another sip from his glass.

"That's wonderful." Ghetsis shot his gaze up at her in total bewilderment. Did she believe him? He prayed she did; he needed her after all. He needed her to show him the way. "Before you asked if I could do something. What was it you were going to ask?"

Ghetsis' heart nearly stopped; she had remembered his half question before she accidently interrupted him. He wasn't out of the woods yet. "I'm sorry I do not recall. I must have lost track after we began discussing the Frigate . . ."

"Frigate?"

"Yes. This ship is called the Plasma Frigate," he informed her, his voice etched with pride and relief for a change of subject.

"That's a pretty name."

Ghetsis almost suffered a faint caused by an overwhelming pride ignited by her compliment.

"T-thanks," he stuttered as he flushed and nervously fiddled with his wine glass. The thunder outside rolled lightly as they sat in another moment of silence in his semi-darkened living quarters. The storm had already passed and was moving onward. It was only a matter of time now before Touko deemed it appropriate to leave. "So . . . I pray you know that my ambitions have ceased. As you can see, I have nothing but this damn ship and no direction."

Ghetsis' eye maneuvered back to hers as she fed him a content gaze. "No direction? What do you mean?" she questioned.

Ghetsis gulped nervously again and feared she would soon catch him performing this nervous, almost fearful gesture and then deem him weak. Truth was he was most certainly weak, but he wanted her to view him a strong man, in a very, very different way. "I have no one to turn to and no place to go now . . ."

"Well, you brought that on yourself, didn't you?" She would have done better to fist him through the chest, pull out his heart and burst it between her fingers.

"Yes," Ghetsis answered through gritted teeth. He averted his gaze down to the wooden floor beneath him. "I wish – I wish –" He growled in frustration and buried his face in his hands in an attempt to shield himself from the world, and to shield his humiliation from the young girl who was trusting him so much.

"Ghetsis?" The sound of his name on her lips riled a monster inside him, a monster he hadn't experienced in several decades. "You wish what?" Her voice was so soft, gentle, and almost a purr, a purr that nearly caused the monster inside him to purr back in all the wrong ways.

"I wish . . . someone could – guide me. I wish someone could show me the right way . . . to live." He rose from the sanctuary that was his hands and went straight for the wine glass before looking at her again. He feared her reaction to his so called wishes, but he was thankful he didn't ask _her_ specifically to guide him like he almost did moments ago. How foolish he had become; how hasty and impatient.

She sat there in silence while she sipped the tea that was now diluted with melted ice. Ghetsis couldn't read her that moment. He couldn't decipher what she was thinking until she placed the glass down and rose to her feet.

"The storm has passed I believe and I'd better be getting home. Um, thanks for the drink and temporary shelter," Touko said, thanking him sweetly.

"_No," _he whispered as he too got to his feet. He couldn't stand for her to leave, not _now! _Ghetsis swore he had been waiting for her to return to Unova for years, and it had been nearly six weeks since his last human interaction as Colress never visited often and neither did the Traid as he'd sworn them off on multiple occasions.

Ghetsis' heart skipped a beat when he saw her expression change from relaxed to almost fearful, her hand instinctively hovering over her dragon's ball. "No. I mean – forgive me. A-are you sure?" he asked kindly, trying hard to hide his desperate tone. "The shelter is not temporary. You can stay for as long as you like!" He was becoming desperate now as his voice became eager.

Relief flooded through his veins as Touko's tension eased.

"I need to go, Ghetsis. My mom is worried I'm sure."

He inhaled sharply when she spoke his name. "A pity," he spoke aloud. "Allow me to walk you out." He maneuvered around her, unlocked the door and slowly slid the iron barrier aside. As his young guest strolled out of his living quarters, it took every ounce of will he possessed not to grab her by the arm and bring her back in and insist she stay. What if there was another storm on its way? The idea became appealing.

Ghetsis followed closely behind Touko, even through the portals, until he came to a standstill by her side on the upper deck of the ship. The rain was coming down lightly and landing in small dewy beads atop her brown hair. Ghetsis felt a strong urge to rip the shirt from his body and drape it over her pretty head.

Touko turned and frowned toward the west. Ghetsis followed her line of vision. Another round of storms was heading their way, and hope filled Ghetsis to bursting with joy.

"I really do have no choice but to go home," Touko muttered, disappointed.

Ghetsis' hope was extinguished. "I thought you were going home anyway?"

Touko shrugged and fished through her bag for a Pokeball. "I was going to visit Cheren in Aspertia City, but now that still isn't possible." She found the ball she was hunting for and hit the middle button, causing it to expand.

"You don't want to go home?" Ghetsis knew he was sounding hopeful, too hopeful.

Touko shrugged again and threw the ball up high where an enormous Pidgeot burst forth in midair and landed gracefully on the wooden and steel deck. Normally Ghetsis would marvel at such an amazing beast as it stood before him, but at that moment all he could think of was finding ways to keep Touko on the ship.

"Don't go if you don't want to. Listen, I've got –"

"I need to go. My mother is probably worried, especially after this storm," Touko insisted as she strolled over to the magnificent flying raptor.

Ghetsis' mind began to race. There was something drawing him to her. "Allow me to walk you through the forest," Ghetsis insisted urgently, "I won't allow that man to harm you – _no_." Hope was disappearing fast as she mounted her great bird without concerning a single word he said. Didn't she want to walk with him? Of course not, he was an evil villain and the forest would take longer.

"I need to go Ghetsis. Thanks again," she said softly once Pidgeot spread his massive wings and began to take flight.

"Be careful," Ghetsis said under his breath, and to his amazement she heard him.

She turned around to him with concern in her eyes. "I will, Ghetsis." And she was gone.

Ghetsis followed after her until the thick metal railing of the ship hit his middle, preventing him from toppling over into the dingy rain-stirred sea water. His keen red eye trailed after her great bird until she was over the trees and out of sight.

He hoped and wished and prayed for her to return. He used every ounce of his mental energy to will her back onto the deck, but it was useless. _Don't be foolish, _he told himself, _she hates you with a passion. _

Giving up on the possibility for a new beginning he'd conjured during her visit, he slowly backed away from the edge of the ship and made his way towards his chambers below. He had been alone to think about his sad and pathetic life for six weeks straight, and the only human interaction he managed came and left in the blink of an eye. She was the only true ray of sunshine he'd encountered in ages, and she couldn't even stand him. He didn't blame her; he couldn't stand himself.

Once he arrived at the entrance to his living quarters, sick reality him hard. _She wasn't coming back. _There was no reason for her to return. Her curiosity had been fulfilled and what she discovered upon the Frigate was the being she hated most, _him. _With such a sickening reality on his conscience, he peeled the iron door sideways and entered into his final resting place, knowing exactly where the gun was that homed the one bullet that could free him from his woes.

* * *

_A/N: At least Touko didn't throw any tea at him. Wonder what this Ghetsis would have done if that happened? I hope everyone likes Ghetsis side to the story. I plan to write him more in the future. _


End file.
